V J m <A 4 people applying to house students failed to real- ize the students were often much different from them, Thompson said. A lot of the volunteers were unprepared to deal with the students and their issues, she added. "That's why the host family program wasn't working out." Funding and accreditation issues Thompson said she understands the problems the Southern Association of Accredited Colleges and Schools had with Walt Whitman. "What they were saying is the people who are using your product aren't the people who are paying for your product," Thompson said. Accreditation was always a concern for administrators, Pamala Ezell said, because, accredited schools will often refuse to recognize credits from an unaccredited school. Karen McCrocklin, chair of the Board of Directors of Walt Whitman, said accredited schools attract a wider variety of students. Volunteer Reed Bogle agreed that the primary reason the school closed for the 2004-2005 school year is related to accreditat...

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RAGGIO Continued from Page 6 The policy changes also led to Texas' 1972 passage of a state equal rights amendment, she said. She also led the family code project of 1979, making Texas the first state with a unified family code. Raggio said, when she started practicing law, it was difficult to get a divorce. There was no such thing as no-fault divorces, and parties had to work very hard to prove wrongdoing by a spouse, she added. Raggio said the difference in life for women now compared to the 1950s and 1960s is "day and night," but over the past three years, the momentum gained in women's rights over the last half of the 20th century has taken a U-turn. "I think things are going backwards now," Raggio said. "Women and children are getting the axe." Raggio said the current administration is cut- ting back free school lunches, and "we're about to lose Roe v. Wade." To turn the tide back toward progress, women need to be more involved in the electoral process, Raggio said. "We really n...

news PERRY Continued from Page 1 trated attack." Black said the 54-year-old governor at first ignored the rumors. But Perry decided to speak out because his children were suffering, Black said. The rumors spread across the nation, reaching friends of Perry's son, who attends Vanderbilt University, and daughter, who attends an Austin high school, according to the spokesman. Some of the rumors alleged that Perry was about to resign from office. The rumors have frustrated the conservative governor, and last week Perry decided "enough is enough," according to Black. As governor, Perry understands that his "poli- cies, politics and principles" are open for discus- sion, Black continued. "But when you go after his family, that's something different. He feels like any husband and father would." Black said that the rumors appear to be spreading over the Internet, primarily among the governor's political enemies. Several versions of the same rumor had spread quickly and widely, and named sev...

Human Rights Campaign president Cheryl Jacques warmly praised Log Cabin's initiative. "We applaud the Log Cabin Republicans for their efforts to show the President's support for what it is — a shameful effort to use gay families as a wedge issue in the election," Jacques said. Halbrook said gay Republicans across the country are outraged by President Bush's support of the effort to amend the Constitution to limit marriage to a man and woman. The national organization and local chapters are seeing unprecedented interest in joining the gay Republican political group, she said. "We've got people who have never been members before joining our major donor group," Halbrook said. "They're having literally thou- sands and thousands of people come in." Halbrook said that the Dallas group is also see- ing an enhanced interest in the effort to persuade the GOP to back away from amending the Constitution. "We've had a lot of new people signing on," she said. Halbrook said GOP leaders have appro...

Portland judge denies request or restraining order PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The latest legal action attempting to halt gay marriages in Portland, Ore., came to an end Monday when a Multnomah County judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order. Presiding Judge Dale Koch denied the request yesterday after hearing arguments from a coali- tion of church leaders and conservative politi- cians. Koch's ruling is just the first step in what is expected to be a lengthy case over Multnomah County's: decision last week to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Kelly Clark, the attorney for the Defense of Marriage Coalition, had alleged in a lawsuit filed last week that county commissioners violated laws regarding public meetings. The ruling yesterday only covered this limited topic. The court did not rule on the legality of same-sex marriage under Oregon laws and the state constitution. At the county building where dozens of gay couples were waiting for marriage licenses, cheers ra...

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Supreme Court won't hear appeal of Boy Scouts case High court was asked to review lower court's ruling that Connecticut's payroll deduction plan erred by excluding Scouts as named beneficiary By Anne Gearan Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court refused Monday to hear an appeal from the Boy Scouts over what the organization says is dis- crimination because of its policy against hiring gays. The case revisited the gay rights fight surrounding the high court's ruling four years ago that the Boy Scouts have the right to ban openly homosexual scout leaders. This time, the question was whether states may treat the Scouts differently from other organizations because of that policy. The Scouts asked the justices to hear a case from Connecticut, where officials moved to drop the group from a list of charities that receive donations through a state employee payroll deduction plan. That's unconstitutional discrimination, the Boy Scouts argued. "To exclude the Boy Scouts from a forum ...

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the legislator, and the Catholic legislator in par- ticular, cannot contribute to the formulation or approval of laws contrary to the primary and essential norms that regulate moral life, an expression of the highest values of the human person, which proceed in the final instance from God, the supreme legislator." 1st openly transsexual public official in New Zealand won't seek new term The world's first openly transexual member of the New Zealand Parliament is quitting when her term is up in 2005, The Scotsman reported March 4. Hew Zealand MP Georgina Beyer said, "Politics and I don't seem to sit too well togeth- er" She said the "discipline and rigors" of an MP's life "have become more and more difficult" and she wants to "disappear into the woodwork" for a time. Beyer represents the rural constituency of Wairarapa. Gay cops in European Union to meet at August conference Gay cops from around Europe will meet in the Netherlands for a conference scheduled on Aug. 5-6. The symposium ...

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New leaders named at HIV planning council Noss heads group that spreads federal, state grants for HIV/AIDS among local service agencies By Angela Geralds Staff Writer Three officers have been appointed for the Ryan White Planning Council of the Dallas Area and the Ryan White Consortium of North Texas. The appointments, by Dallas County Judge Margaret Keliher, took effect Feb. 1. Dr. Michael Noss was named chairman, and David Huss and Cheryl Mayo were tapped as co- vice chairs. Noss is board certified psychiatrist and has been involved with the treatment and care of peo- ple living with HIV for 18 years. Noss is consultant liaison psychiatrist at Parkland Hospital's Amelia Court AIDS Clinic. He is also a clinical instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. 'Tin very excited" Noss was appointed as chair, said Karin Petties, manager of the Ryan White Planning Council. Noss will be an effective leader, she said. Mayo is pr...